San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Bertans out
Forward won’t play tonight against his old team.
Davis Bertans’ second homecoming to the AT&T Center might have to wait.
The former Spurs sharpshooter turned Washington Wizards marksman is in the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols and has not played since Jan. 11.
Bertans, 28, is one of six Washington players in the protocols, which has caused the postponement of six consecutive games for the Wizards.
Sunday’s game, which for now is still on, would be Washington’s first live action since a 128-107 win over Phoenix on Jan. 11.
Bertans’ former teammates in San Antonio — where he spent his first three NBA seasons — wish him a quick return to health. But they aren’t going to miss playing against him after the show Bertans put on in last season’s return to the Alamo City.
“Last time he came in here, I don’t think he missed a shot,” center LaMarcus Aldridge said.
Indeed, Bertans went 7 for 7, including 5 of 5 from the 3-point stripe, and notched 23 points in Washington’s 123-121 loss in San Antonio last season.
He had 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting in the Wizards’ 138-132 win over the Spurs a few weeks
later in Washington.
“We definitely brought something out in him that I don’t want to see again,” Aldridge said.
Bertans arrived in Washington as part of a trade it turns out the
Spurs did not have to make. The Spurs only dealt the 6-foot-10 3-point specialist to clear salary cap room to add Marcus Morris in free agency.
Morris reneged on a verbal agreement, signing with New York instead.
Bertans went on to thrive in his first season with the Wizards, averaging a career-best 15.4 points while hitting 42.4 percent of his 3-point shots.
The breakout season earned Bertans a five-year, $80 million contract extension with Washington in the offseason.
Ankle could keep Murray sidelined
Point guard Dejounte Murray’s status for Sunday’s game remains uncertain after he rolled his left ankle in the opening minute of the Spurs’ 122-117 loss to Dallas on Friday.
Murray did not return, and veteran Patty Mills opened the second half as the Spurs’ starting point guard.
After the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich did not seem to think Murray’s injury was severe.
“I think he is going to be fine,” Popovich said.
Murray is off to a fast start in his fourth NBA season, averaging 14.8 points and 5.1 assists while leading the Spurs in rebounding (7.5 per game) and steals (1.4 per game).
Aldridge finally finds his 3-point stroke
Aldridge made a season-best four 3-pointers in the loss to Dallas, a hopeful sign the 35year-old big man is beginning to find his stroke from long range.
He had made 11 of 44 attempts to start the season before Friday’s 4-for-7 performance.
It was part of a 26-point night for Aldridge, who bounced back from a four-point outing in Wednesday’s loss at Golden State.
“There was definitely a stretch where I felt the most comfortable lately,” Aldridge said. “I was taking my time, trying to stick with it and keep working. It definitely was the most fluid I felt shooting it in a while.”
Aldridge’s 15th NBA season has been something of a roller coaster, especially lately.
Over the past four games, Aldridge has produced two outings of four points and two outings surpassing 20.
The seven-time All-Star is averaging 14.5 points and a career-low 4.5 rebounds in 13 games.
Aldridge credited his teammates for continuing to look for him in pick-and-pop situations.
“It’s just about trying to find ways I am comfortable taking that shot,” Aldridge said. “Guys have been looking for me, I think. It’s going to keep getting better as the year goes on.”